6th Grade Memory Book: Keep them writing right up until the last day of school!

Here's a 6th grade memory book in full page size format!  It's a great way to keep sixth grade students engaged and writing right up until the last day.  There are lots of pages for students to reflect upon their year sixth grade year and once it's finished, this book promises to be a treasured keepsake!

HOT TIP:  To make the books more special, use the book binder and laminate the book covers, or if we're out of laminating film, run them off on construction or other stiff paper.

The autographing time and phone and email exchanging time is so fun for students and teacher alike!  Who needs a yearbook when you can use a more personal book of memories?

See more on TPT

Memory Books for 4th Grade to Keep Students Writing Until the Very Last Day of School

Hey teacher friends!  Do you want to keep students writing right up until the last day of school?  Then memory books are the ticket! Choose the pages you want to use and keep students engaged and focused on wrirting about their fourth grade year with you. 

Click here to see the memory book preview on TpT

Capture End of Year Memories with a Memory Book!

The end of the school year is approaching.  State testing is over.  Student enthusiasm is high. Students are getting eager to be out on break (and so are teachers).  Behaviors can escalate if you're not on top of things.  What do you do that's meaningful work that will hold your students' attention during the last few days of school?"  It' easy!  It's engaging!  There's one last bit of writing involved!  But best of all, students make their own memory book and remain focused during this crazy exciting time of year.  This great activity gives you a few minutes to begin room tidy-up and end of record management.  What could be better?

I love using memory books to capture the highlights of the year students spent in my class.  I prefer to create book in a half-page format because if your school is like mine, we tended to put a freeze on copy printing and were nearly out of budgeted paper supplies for the year.  For a class of 34, I could print 17 pages and have 34 individual memory book pages.  I know some teachers prefer the ease of using a single page per sheet, so I created memory books just for you, too.  They're in my TpT store under the category, "End of Year."

At the beginning of the year, I create a file folder for each student and file them alphabetically in a hanging file folder in a plastic crate.  These folders are now ready to file memory book pages of special events that we do throughout the year.  Each time we go on field trips, have guest speakers, do cool projects and events, photos are taken.  I use a class list and check off each student's name to be sure I've got a photo for everyone.  Then, right away, I'd add each child's photo to the template for the page destined for each memory book.  Each photo is captioned to be personalized for each students. Then pages are printed, cut in half and filed into each student's folder.  Newest pages go a the back so the books end up in chronological order for easy assembly at the end of the year.

This is what the NEW memory books look like:

These are some photos of my daughter's memory book when she was a 4th grader in my 4/5 Blend class. You can see how I used to use lots of photos for my students' memory books.  Since then, students create their own pages and we add photos to the books as well.

See all of the Memory Books - in Half Page and Full Sheet Format

Whatever you do the end the year on a positive note, do it well.  Your students and families will remember their year with you as a great one!

3 Reasons You Should Teach Roman Numerals (Grades 3-5)

Do you teach students how to read Roman Numerals?  It might not be part of your third, fourth, or fifth grade curriculum but it's an important real life skill that uses higher level thinking, is a part of history, and is kind of like solving a mystery.  AND . . . learning about Roman Numerals can be a stand-alone no-prep unit that you can leave with confidence for a substitute teacher that students will have a day full of learning.  Roman Numerals can be taught any time of year, too.

Roman numerals are an important part of history, and we still see Roman numerals in use today. Roman numerals are used for drama and effect, or to make things seem important such as with Kings like Edward the IV. Popes are named using this system as well, for example John Paul II. The most recognized use today is likely sporting events such as Super Bowl XX , and the XXVII Olympic Games. Films, videos and copyrights routinely use Roman numbers for tracking. We also see and use them to mark documents, often adding an air of importance to the work.  They are used in medicine, too.  Did you know that the cranial nerves are labeled with Roman Numerals?

Students find Roman Numerals fun to use and somewhat cryptic, almost like a breaking a secret code. And who doesn’t love a good mystery to get students engaged?   Or how about trying to read the game number for the big football game?

 

The use of Roman numerals helps students critical thinking and mental flexibility. I use them as a fun engaging way to help teach math concepts of addition, subtraction and place value. Students never get enough practice with equalities. Try balancing them Roman style!

Roman Numerals can be confusing for students (and adults). Let's see... if the "I" is before the "V" do I add or subtract? Students need lots of practice to really get this skill, especially when they need to convert large numbers, like figuring out copyright dates of books.

Teach students how to break down large numbers into smaller ones - like using expanded notation with Roman Numerals.  It's easy when you know how!

Here are a few more real life examples to inspire you and your students!

• Roman Numerals are used to number the cranial nerves!  This will inspire those kids who have a dream of working in the field of medicine. 
• Roman numerals are used on old fashion clocks
• They're used in the sport of football to number the Super Bowl!  Those kids who love sports will be intrigued by this one. 
• They're used when someone has the same name for many generations, ex: Robert Griffin III, a football quarterback, Pope Benedict XVI, Kind Edward VII of England.
• They're on old historic buildings.  The history buffs out there will love being able to decipher what the buildings say.
• They are used for film copyright dates.
• They are used to number pages in books, especially on the preliminary pages.
• They number paragraphs in complicated, and long documents. 
• They are used in teaching music and music theory.

If you teach Roman Numerals to grades 3-5, you are going to love a few new items I just finished up. I created a Roman Numerals Interactive Notebook set and a set of Roman Numeral posters, then bundled the two to save you money.  This makes a great math center, too!

Roman Numerals Interactive Notebook

Roman Numeral Poster Set

Roman Numerals Interactive Notebook + Poster Set BUNDLE

      

Do you teach Roman Numerals?  Leave a comment about what grade level you are and how you teach it!

Graphics: 

© Thistle Girl Designs www.thistlegirldesigns.com

JB Design © www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Natasha-Boysal

Teach the Key Words of Math

We need to help students learn the language of math.  Case in point . . . when teaching "fraction-of" problems, students are surprised to learn that "of" means multiply.  They actually think that's cool!  (I love it!)  For example, what is 1/3 of 12 means 1/3 x 12 or put the 12 items into 3 equal groups then count one group.

These math operations posters help students learn the key words for addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and equals.  There are 18 pages of choices of wall posters and posters designed to fit into an interactive notebook or math journal.   Check them out!

Figurative Language Cootie Catchers are FUN, FUN, FUN!

Who doesn't love an excuse to play with a Cootie Catcher?  This set is full of figurative language terms, examples and gives an excuse to play while learning about figurative language!

There's four templates that give students practice using and identifying figurative language plus there's an interactive pocket foldable to store the Cootie Catchers in your interactive notebook.  Also included are 8 posters with figurative language definitions and a PPT slideshow.

Play, learn and have fun!

Teach the Figurative Language of Poetry with Interactive Notebooks

Teaching poetry is fun and it just got more fun for students if you're using interactive notebooks!

Students need to learn and use the meanings of alliteration, hyperbole, idiom, metaphor, personification, onomatopoeia, and simile.  This brand new set gives students the definitions and examples to glue into their interactive notebooks.  Journal covers are also included in color and black and white.  Also included is a PowerPoint slideshow about figurative language and 8 posters with these definitions.

Interactive Notebook Poetry Figurative Language Set

This new set IS INCLUDED in my 6-week poetry unit and independent poetry project.

Remember that followers get advance notice and HALF OFF for the first 24 hours!  Remember, too, that licenses for teaching buddies are also half off.   Click the green star next to my name on TpT.  You can also follow me on other social media by clicking the buttons at the top of the blog page.

Enjoy teaching poetry this month!